faculty

Grant Hier is an author, musician, painter, muti-media artist, and educator. In 2018 he was appointed as the inaugural Poet Laureate of Anaheim. Other literary honors include Prize Americana, the Nancy Dew Taylor Prize, and the Kick Prize. Books include Untended Garden, The Difference Between, Similitude, and California Continuum. His poetry, fiction, and essays are widely anthologized, and he gives readings and lectures worldwide. He is currently poetry editor for Chiron Review and serves on the advisory boards of the literary journals Citric Acid and The Journal of Radical Wonder. For his community service, he was awarded the 2019 “World Refugee Day Courage Award” and in 2022 cofounded “Southern California Poets United for Ukraine.” He also co-founded and co-hosted the first “A Day of Poetry in Los Angeles” at the Los Angeles Central Library. Grant wrote, produced, and performed on JOYRIDE: Friends Take the Wheel, a spoken word + music double album featuring 50 performers. He has contributed to recordings of Louie Pérez, Los Lobos, David Greenberger, and others, and has recorded his original songs at A&M Records and various other studios. He penned the liner notes to both Llegó Navidad and Native Sons by Los Lobos, as well as two special edition, 5-album box sets for the band WAR. As a voice actor, Grant contributed to the audiobook of Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. That recording won the 2018 Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year. Before entering academia, he earned his living as a journalist, art director, and graphic designer. His installation art and mixed media compositions have been featured in several Southern California galleries, and he regularly collaborates on interdisciplinary projects with other artists. Grant holds BA, MA and MFA degrees in literature and creative writing. He was a full professor at UCI and Laguna College of Art + Design for more than 30 years, the latter at which he served as the Chair of Liberal Arts and Art History. Grant has served as mentor and advisor for several students in LCAD’s MFA Drawing and Painting Program. He lives in West Anaheim with his wife Laura and their dog Edna Lou Donut. More at www.granthier.com